Surah Dukhan

Surah Dukhan (سورة الدّخان) is the 44^th surah of the Quran that Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad in the city of Mecca. The surah gets its name, dukhan, meaning smoke, from verse ten of the surah that talks about a punishment called Dukhan, meaning smoke, for the disbelievers. In this article on Islam4u, the following topics will be discussed:

Facts about Surah Dukhan

Surah no.	44
Place	Juz’ 25
Makki/Madani	Makki
Order of revelation	64
No. of verses	59
No. of words	346
No. of letters	1475

Benefits of Reciting Surah Dukhan

1. Being forgiven of one’s past sins: The Noble Prophet has said, “Whoever recites surah Dukhan at night, will be forgiven of his past sins.¹
2. Being safe from the evil of the jinn: If someone writes surah Dukhan and attaches it to the clothes of a child, he will be safe from the evil of the jinn and stinging insects.²
3. For being honorable before people: Whoever writes this surah and carries it with himself, he will be honorable in the eyes of people, and if he drinks from the water of that writing, he will be safe from the evil of snitches.³
4. Being relieved of the temptations of Satan: The Noble Prophet has been quoted as saying, “Whoever writes surah Dukhan and keeps it with himself, he will be safe from the guile and cunning of Satan. Moreover, if this surah is written and placed under one’s pillow, one will see sweet dreams and will be relieved of nightly anxiety.⁴
5. Relief from headache: If surah Dukhan is written, then washed, and its water is given to someone who has a headache, they will feel well.⁵
6. For increase in profit and wealth: If merchants and tradesmen keep the writing of this surah in their workplace, they will make a substantial profit and will acquire great wealth.⁶

The Gist of Surah Dukhan

The main goal of surah Dukhan is warning those who are hesitant about the truthfulness of the Quran. Surah Dukhan speaks about the descent of the Quran on the Night of Ordainment (Laylat al=Qadr: لَيلَةُ القَدر) in order to guide people. However, the disbelievers are in doubt about it due to their carnal desires. Then they are warned of worldly and otherworldly punishment.⁷ Furthermore, surah Dukhan, similar to other Makki surahs, mostly talks about beliefs. The three axes of it are monotheism (tawḥīd), Qiyamah (ma‘ād), and the Quran. Surah Dukhan also talks about the punishment of disbelievers, the story of Prophet Moses and the Bani Israel , the people of Pharaoh, and the philosophy behind creation .⁸

Famous Verses of Surah Dukhan

Verses 3-5 of surah Dukhan are among the most famous verses of this surah because they talk about the revelation of the Quran and also about the Night of Qadr on which every matter is resolved:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ ‎﴿٣﴾‏ فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ ‎﴿٤﴾‏ أَمْرًا مِّنْ عِندِنَا ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ ‎﴿٥﴾

We sent it down on a blessed night, and We have been warning [mankind]. (3) Every definitive matter is resolved on it, (4) as an ordinance from Us. We have been sending [apostles].

The Night of Qadr is a blessed night on which every matter is resolved, in terms of what is going to happen to a person’s life until the next year and the next Night of Qadr. For example, it would be determined whether a person will get married, or will buy a house, and so on.

The Verse of the Smoke

فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ ‎﴿١٠﴾‏ يَغْشَى النَّاسَ ۖ هَٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ‎﴿١١﴾‏ رَّبَّنَا اكْشِفْ عَنَّا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ ‎﴿١٢﴾‏ أَنَّىٰ لَهُمُ الذِّكْرَىٰ وَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّبِينٌ ‎﴿١٣﴾‏ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا مُعَلَّمٌ مَّجْنُونٌ ‎﴿١٤﴾

So wait for a Day when the sky brings a manifest smoke that will encompass people. This is the [harbinger of] painful punishment. O our Lord! Remove this punishment from us [because now] we truly believe. How can this admonition be [helpful] for them while the manifest messenger came to them [before,] Then they turned away and said, “He is a madman who has been taught [by someone].”

This smoke will appear on the Day of Judgment and it will encompass the disbelievers. They will say, “Remove this punishment from us. We truly believe! However, it is too late. They should have believed when they were given a chance in their life in the world. Instead of believing in the Prophet and the Quran, they said he is a madman who has been taught by someone the things he utters from the Quran. However, on the Day of Judgment it is revealed to everyone how the Prophet was rightly guided by Allah and the disbelievers will be punished for their disbelief.

Conclusion

Surah Dukhan is a very beautiful surah that begins by talking about the Quran and how it was revealed on a blessed night, meaning the Night of Qadr or ordainment. It also talks about the punishment of disbelievers on the Day of Judgment. On that day, a manifest smoke will encompass people. The disbelievers will ask Allah to remove this punishment from them and that they will believe. However, it is too late. Surah Dukhan also tells the story of Prophet Moses and the Bani Israel. One can learn many things from the story of Moses and his people. That is why the Quran mentions their story very much. Reciting surah Dukhan has many benefits. The Noble Prophet has said, “Whoever recites surah Dukhan at night, he will be forgiven his past sins.” Let us recite this surah and reap its benefits.